In recent years, portable terminal devices have been becoming more compact and thinner. Thin and highly rigid metal sheets, which are sheets made of stainless alloy, etc. and formed by press forming or the like, are used as part of housings of portable terminal devices. Antenna elements must be located away from surrounding metal components by a certain distance so as not to affect the performance of the antenna. A problem in reducing the size of portable terminal devices is that the mounting location of the antenna is limited and that a fitting part of housings made of sheet metals cannot be extended very close to the antenna. To address the needs to reduce the size and thickness of terminal devices without compromising the wireless performance of an antenna, the antenna is often mounted on an external surface of the housing to maintain the distance of the antenna elements from surrounding metal components.
When a housing made of sheet metals is adjacent to the antenna mounted on an external surface of the housing, as described above, a fitting hook and the like cannot protrude from the housing in order to maintain the distance between the antenna elements and surrounding metal components. In this setting, without a fitting part between the antenna and the sheet-metal housing, they are eventually deformed by an external force, and protrusion of an edge part of the housing can occur.
Extension and connection of a resin part of the antenna to the metal housing require a space for installing connecting parts, which is problematic in reducing the size of terminal devices.
Patent Literature 1: Unexamined Japanese Patent Application KOKAI Publication No. 2004-317588